1800 and 13 numbers are often promoted as “freecall”, but that isn’t necessarily the case if you’re calling from a mobile. Telstra has reduced the confusion for its customers a little by making calls to 1800 numbers free from all its mobile plans, both prepaid and postpaid.
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That’s not a perfect outcome, since Telstra still charges for calls to 13 numbers from mobiles (which are usually charged as the equivalent of an untimed local from landlines) on some plans. There had been proposals to make it illegal to charge for calls to either kind of number, but those were ultimately replaced with a scheme which requires carriers to eventually make calls to 1800 numbers free while offering ’13-friendly’ plans that charge those calls like regular lines.
With Telstra making this switch, we’d anticipate similar changes soon from Optus, Vodafone and major MVNOs on any plans which don’t already include free calls to 1800 numbers.
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5 responses to “Calls To 1800 Numbers Are Now Free From All Telstra Mobiles”
Disclaimer: Allure Media received financial contributions from advertising directly from Telstra.
Considering I’d plugged a landline in and let it charge up this morning to call a 1300 number (local call on landline, timed charge on mobile) this is pretty relevant to me. Also how is shaming Optus and Voda for being slow with this a Telstra advertorial?
Or do you have a vested interest in people paying to call freecall numbers?
That is awesome. Now to inform dad so he can use his mobile to make these calls instead of the landline!
13 numbers aren’t free from any phone services as far as I’m aware, so not sure how this is interpreted as “imperfect”.
Included/unlimited 13 calls on some plans is different. Most plans have timed calls, and 13 numbers are charged accordingly.
IMHO I think it was blatantly misleading and false advertising. I actually contacted the ACCC at one point but they only seemed to sweep it under the carpet. How can a “Free Call ” number not be free?.. They should be made accountable and pay back everyone who ever made a free call number on their mobile phone back their money. It kind of disgusts me how people can get away with something like this because as a consumer its unfair.. Having said that its about time they finally changed it and realised that free ment free and not “we will charge you cuz we feel like because you have a mobile”.
Proof??